High-Power with the .303 No.4

[Ray1946]

Has anyone here shot "real" High-Power with a No.4 .303 Lee-Enfield and cast bullets? What I mean by "real" High-Power is the variety you shoot at 200,300, and 600 yds. Has anyone shot any kind of old military with cast bullets in a "real" High-Power match? This has been a dream or more correctly a pipe dream of mine for a long time now. Seems to me with all of the new bullet lubes and propellents on the market someone is doing this kind of thing now or should be. I'm thinking the 200 and 300 yd. stages would not be that tough to accomplish, but that 600 yd. event might be a real challenge.....................Ray

[Casting Timmy]

I'm thinking about just doing a competition this summer with my cast bullets. I really don't care if I get disquailifed every round because my equipment isn't to spec. It'd just be nice to be part of the competition.

At least I'm hoping they'll let me play in their games. It would be nice to shot at something more than a hundred yards.

[Jack Stanley]

I haven't used a number four in compitition but the number four mkII I have would be a good candidate I'm sure . With a bullet like the 314299 as long as it fits well and loaded right you would have enough sight correction to do the job . Make a record of your sight setting in a notebook and the range time would go well I'm sure .
I've found the clubs to be rather open on what a fella wants to shoot most of the time . I went to an "F" class match once not knowing all the rules and they let me shoot without having to do the sight change the everybody else had to do . On the other hand I went to a range on the west side of the state that didn't like me using a Garand , it seems the muzzle blast was a bit much for their delicate little selves .

Find a good load to reach the six hundred yard line and give it a try , I bet you have a good time .

Jack

[madsenshooter]

The muzzle blast from a Garand was too much? What were the others shooting, mouse guns? They sure wouldn't like shooting next to me with my Madsen, which was made with a compensator on it. Bob S has done some across the course work using cast bullets.

[JeffinNZ]

RAY: In my SMLE I shoot a 220gr over 41gr H4350 for 2000fps and in my No4 MkII I shoot a 178gr over 47gr of H4350 for 2400fps. Both will shoot 2-2.5MOA. They will have the legs for 600 easy.

[NickSS]

I competed in High Power from about 1970 through 1992 when I made master class. I have not kept up with the rules since then but it is my understanding that you can either shoot in the service rifle class which used to be the M1, M14 or AR 15 or you could shoot in the bolt gun class that could be any bolt action in any center fire cartridge. Most of the people I shot with were shooting 308s in those days but the mouse gun and other calibers were coming into play about the time I quit. Some buddies of mine have now gone to bolt guns in more exotic calibers like the 6.5/284 and some are shooting 223 bolt guns. Unless the rules have changed a lot cast bullets should be allowed and any rifle except for specialized matches shoot be allowed. Personally it would be fun to shoot some of those matches with an old bolt gun but though cast bullets can be fired at 600 yards with good accuracy you would be at a big disadvantage due to wind at longer ranges. I have competed in black powder cartridge rifle shooting since I quit high power and it is fun to shoot cast bullets but due to windage and higher trajectories I have never been able to shoot as well at 600 yards as I can with a good 308 match rifle shooting sierra matchking bullets. For instance I can and have shot 20 shot scores of 200 with 12 X with a 308 at 600 yard, but the very best I have ever done with a BLCR at the same range is is a 10 shot score of 96 with 5 X.

[Bob S]

Has anyone shot any kind of old military with cast bullets in a "real" High-Power match? ..... I'm thinking the 200 and 300 yd. stages would not be that tough to accomplish, but that 600 yd. event might be a real challenge.....................Ray

Yes. I started in 1965 with a bone-stock 03A3, cast bullets. It was on the Able target then (5-V), and only at 200 and 300 yards. After I got out of the Navy the first time in 1972, I picked up the same 03A3, and got semi-serious, adding a Type C stock, Lyman 48, and milled furniture. For 200 and 300 yards, I used an Ideal 311284 with 40-42 grains of WW II surplus 4831. For 600 yards, I resorted to the Sierra 168 grain "International" bullet; and for 1000 yards, the Sierra 190 grain Match King. I made Master with that rig in 1973.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[Jack Stanley]

The muzzle blast from a Garand was too much? What were the others shooting, mouse guns? They sure wouldn't like shooting next to me with my Madsen, which was made with a compensator on it. Bob S has done some across the course work using cast bullets.

Yep , mouse guns they were . Since they were less than freindly to a new shooter I looked for other areas to express myself .

Jack

[Bob S]

35Whelan should chime in here, too.

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[bruce drake]

IF, and I say IF the dear wife's schedule lets me, This Saturday is a 200-300 yard match that I intend to shoot a 8mm Mauser in with LEE's 175gr RN. We'll see what she says later this week.

Bruce

[RU shooter]

I to shoot Highpower with cast in an 03A3 but not full course, just reduced 200 yd. matches. not saying it cant be done at the long line but thats a far way for a 30 cal. with cast especially if its breezy where you shoot. Have you tried shooting that far before with that rifle? you'll need a 2-3 moa load at that range for 20 rds. to be competitive.


Tim

[NuJudge]

I've shot a No. 4 at 200 in a reduced distance Service Rifle match. I used the Lee 309-170GC, which drops from my mold at .311", and I used a .314" size die. I used 2400. It would hold the black on the SR target, but I lost a lot of points on the reduced 300 and reduced 600.

CDD

[Ray1946]

I got started in High-Power using a Mod.1911 Schmidt-Rubin. I learned to make brass using .284 Win. brass. There was a local club where we had a weekly match, that being a 20 shot event of either Prone,rapid Prone,Offhand or rapid Sitting. I had gone to one of these matches a year or so before and was really impressed how some really large fellas could go from standing to prone and fire 5 shots, reload and fire 5 more before the horn blew. I got out my copy of Small Arms of the World and started looking for something affordable, accurate and fairly well made that I could compete with.

The Schmidt-Rubin seemed like the logical rifle to shoot. There were some that I had seen in several of the local gun shops in this area. Going price back then was $65.00 to $90.00 dependly on condition. The only thing I could not quite understand was why you had to shoot a round at 2500-2800 fps. to go thru a target at 100 yds. distant. After talking to several of the shooters, Iwas told I could shoot any rifle with any iron sight and any bullet that would put a whole in the target. I bedded the action of the rifle and added a pressure point about a foot or so down the barrel. I also added a Lyman 48 Target sight and a Lyman target front sight that was designed for small bore. This was a really accurate combition.

I later aquired the No.4MkII Enfield with a perfect barrel. I have bedded the action on this rifle using the info from the NRA Lee-Enfieldn book. I am planning to shoot it this summer if possible......................Ray